Sousa
David A. Sousa, EdD, is an international consultant in educational neuroscience and author of a dozen books that suggest ways that educators and parents can translate current brain research into strategies for improving learning. A member of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, he has conducted workshops in hundreds of school districts on brain research, instructional skills, and science education at the preK–12 and university levels. He has made presentations to more than 100,000 educators at national conventions of educational organizations and to regional and local school districts across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Dr. Sousa’s popular books for educators include: How the Brain Learns, third edition; How the Special Needs Brain Learns, second edition; How the Gifted Brain Learns; How the Brain Learns to Read; How the Brain Influences Behavior; and How the Brain Learns Mathematics, which was selected by the Independent Publishers Association as one of the best professional development books of 2008.
—From the introduction by David A. Sousa
Mind, Brain, and Education brings together the visionaries in educational neuroscience, an emerging field that unites psychology, neuroscience, and pedagogy. The contributors explain the significant research on how the brain develops and learns, explore its implications for educational practice, and offer new ways of thinking about intelligence and academic ability. David A. Sousa explains the origins of educational neuroscience and the impact of brain research on education. Michael I. Posner describes how advances in neuroimaging technology led to deeper understandings of the brain. Judy Willis shares practical classroom strategies for applying what is known about the brain. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and Matthias Faeth present a neuroscientific view of how emotions affect learning and suggest practices to improve the emotional and cognitive aspects of classroom learning. Diane L. Williams reviews the neuroscience research and debunks popular myths about learning language. John Gabrieli, Joanna A. Christodoulou, Tricia O’Loughlin, and Marianna D. Eddy examine what we know about how the brain learns to read, why some children struggle to read, and what research tells us about reading interventions. Donna Coch explains what neuroscience has revealed about the interaction of the visual and auditory processing systems, the development of the alphabetic principle, semantics, and comprehension. Keith Devlin explores what we know to date about innate number sense and proposes instructional approaches
in mathematics based on recent neuroscience research. Stanislas Dehaene discusses the three networks used to evaluate the number of a set of objects, how humans innately approximate number, and how this knowledge can be used to help students learn mathematics. Daniel Ansari describes how concrete neurological differences contribute to individuals’ varying mathematical ability. Mariale M. Hardiman presents neuroscience research about the nature of creativity and how it can be cultivated through the arts, then introduces a framework for integrating creativity across content and grade levels.
Sousa EDITOR
6 The Leading Edge is the undefined space where leaders venture to impact change—it is the place where transformation begins. The Leading Edge™ series unites education authorities from around the globe and asks them to confront the important issues that affect teachers and administrators—the important issues that profoundly impact student success.
mind, brain, & education Neuroscience Implications for the Classroom
Joanna A. Christodoulou Donna Coch Stanislas Dehaene Keith Devlin
Kurt W. Fischer and Katie Heikkinen argue that new knowledge about the brain necessitates collaboration between neuroscientists and educators to shift current thinking about teaching and learning.
solution-tree.com
David A.
Daniel Ansari
Marianna D. Eddy Matthias Faeth Kurt W. Fischer John Gabrieli
Sousa
Dr. Sousa is past president of the National Staff Development Council. He has received numerous awards from professional associations, school districts, and educational foundations for his commitment to research, staff development, and science education. He recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary doctorate from Massachusetts State College (Bridgewater), and an honorary doctorate from Gratz College in Philadelphia.
“The brain remains an enormously complex wonder that still guards many secrets. But we are slowly pulling back the veil and gaining insights that have implications for teaching and learning. . . . Exploring these chapters will give the reader a sense of where this new field of educational neuroscience is now, and where it is headed.”
mind, brain, & education
Neuroscience Implications for the Classroom
David A. Sousa
6
EDITOR
Neuroscience Implications for the Classroom
mind, brain, & education
David A.
Mariale M. Hardiman Katie Heikkinen Mary Helen Immordino-Yang Tricia O’Loughlin Michael I. Posner David A. Sousa Diane L. Williams Judy Willis
The experts contributing to this anthology do not prescribe one method to transact change. They embrace the mission, trusting that teachers and administrators—the true change leaders—will venture to the Leading Edge to embrace challenges and opportunities that will guarantee the success of their students. You are invited to the Leading Edge to explore Mind, Brain, and Education: Neuroscience Implications for the Classroom. This sixth book in the series examines neuroscience’s growing knowledge of how the brain develops and functions, and explores the field’s implications for pedagogy and the classroom. The contributors investigate such questions as: What are the neurological foundations of learning and of individual differences in learning? How did educators get involved with neuroscience, and where might this involvement lead? What does neuroscience reveal about the brain’s ability to learn and use written and spoken language, to learn and use mathematics, and to think creatively? How can educational neuroscience improve the teaching of these abilities? The Leading Edge series also includes On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities; Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning; Change Wars; On Excellence in Teaching; and 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn.